


the haunting

by poetdameron



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cat Lover Shane, Fluff, Getting Together, Graphic Description of Dead Animals, Gratuitous Tall Men Thirst, Happy Ending, History Professor Shane, Humor, Is it demons or is it stress?, M/M, Maybe it is cats, Neighbors, Shyan Week 2020, Video Producer Ryan, light mystery, shyanwritingevents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23375839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetdameron/pseuds/poetdameron
Summary: Ryan is convinced there's a demon living rent free in his apartment, one that loves to leave dead animals in his pillows and push him in the direction of his cute neighbor, history professor Shane who just moved into his apartment building and is done with his high school students.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 33
Kudos: 322
Collections: Shyan Week 2020





	the haunting

**Author's Note:**

> Late, but taking care of four children is not easy and I had a busy day at the ranch with them. Regardless, I was very excited to finish this up because I've been thinking of this fic for MONTHS. Hope you guys like it.
> 
> Written for the Shyna Week 2020, day 4 - free day. 
> 
> No beta read for the time being, if you are interested in editing this work, please let me know!

**The Haunting**

He had been watching The Office when it first happened.

Up in the ceiling, a strange thump was heard and Ryan had looked up, wondering what could it be when the apartment upstairs was empty and hadn’t been rented in almost three months. With a frown on his face, he went back to the TV and slept through the night without incident.

The following days, more strange noises would be heard but nobody seemed to be responsible. 

Thumps, like things falling to the ground, some sort of steps, scratching. At the time, Ryan had thought he was working too much and was too entranced on his upcoming Halloween plans to the point his head was making up shit as it used to when he was a child.

Once upon a time, little Ryan Bergara had been scared shitless of the legends his mother would use to scare him into obedience. As a teen, he had forgotten all about it and became a skeptic, only to have his card removed by the imponent and haunted Queen Mary, a night and morning of horrors he would never forget.

Ever since, his interest in the paranormal had only added fuel to his curiosity with horror and crime, and now he was the guy behind the camera, making videos about it for BuzzFeed, feeding into his own fears like he probably was during those first weeks.

It wasn’t until a Thursday night that he smelled it.

There was something fetid in the air as he had been sleeping, so terrible it woke him up in the middle of the night. As he searched for his glasses on his bed’s side, his other hand touched something wet on the pillow at his side.

Slowly, already knowing it was something he would rather not see, Ryan put his glasses on and turned on the light, hand going near his still sleepy eyes to find blood on his fingers. He held his breath, quickly looking at his side to find a dead bird on his pillow, bloody and torn apart with an eye hanging out.

Ryan screamed that night like out of a fucking movie.

* * *

“So, what you are saying is… You think there’s a ghost in your apartment?” Brent arched an eyebrow with his arms crossed. “ _ Buddy _ ,”

“There was a fucking dead bird on my pillow!” Ryan reminded him, Curly nodded at his side as he looked at Brent with Maya frowning but still nodding too. 

Zack shook his head, snorting as he crossed his arms over his chest too, looking at Ryan with a pointed look.

“Sounds like a cat to me.”

“I don’t have a cat! I’m allergic!” He said, Maya and Curly nodded again. “And none of my neighbors do either, there’s a no-pets allowed policy in the building.”

“Damn! If only there were some felines on the streets that don’t know about no-pet policies in buildings!” Brent mocked, making Ryan narrow his eyes at him and wish he hadn’t said a word to these assholes. “Come on, man. What’s more possible? Street cat leaving his dinner at your side or a ghost that leaves a dead bird for no reason at all?”

Ryan frowned, knowing the street cat theory sounded likely as hell. He still reminded them of his closed windows, of how he had never seen cats on his building or even in the streets outside. Eventually, as lunch was coming to an end, Zack and Brent left the office’s kitchenette, leaving him with Maya and Curly, who seemed more interested in his home’s infestation than anything else.

“But what do you think it is?” Maya incisted, Ryan frowned at the question.

“I’m not so sure…” He admitted. “Because I was looking into the story of the building and it’s new. The lot where it was built used to be a fucking Walmart. Also nothing on the Walmart, nothing on the land at all.”

“Mmm…” Curly sighed. “I think you got something from your travels, papi.”

“That’s what I thought, too!” Ryan said, looking at his friend. “Do you-- oh man, I should cleanance myself.”

“Por favor!” Said his friends at the same time, Ryan sighed.

“Curly, do you know of someone who could do me the favor?”

“Pues claro!”

* * *

One cleanance later, Ryan heard the scratching again, this time in his apartment.

Frowning, he went out of his bathroom one afternoon, looking for the source of the sound. He followed it to his closet but when he opened it, nothing was there. Swallowing, Ryan moved his clothes around, his shoes and large collection of sneakers, but he couldn’t find anything.

He didn’t sleep well that night.

* * *

When desk guy Richard told him the apartment upstairs of his was finally rented, Ryan wondered if his neighbor would suffer his same luck.

Apparently, nobody else had reported anything strange in these past two weeks when it all started for Ryan, aside from complaints about him screaming the night of the bird. Ashamed and pretending it didn’t happen, Ryan just passed by everyone when he heard them talk about it in the lobby or the laundry room.

Other than that, everything was perfectly fine. And to be quite fair, nothing else had happened to Ryan again.

Until Tall and Handsome, that is.

Tall and Handsome happened to him one thursday afternoon as he tried to not fall asleep while waiting for his loundry to be ready. The washing machine he was using was old and doing its best, soon they will be putting on yet another complaint of a broken machine that needed to be replaced and the landlord would sigh, saying he’ll do something soon.

Soon as in, never.

But at least, it worked and gave Ryan the break from his anxiety induced work in his laptop he had abandoned upstairs.

He was about to finally snore into the empty room when the door opened and Ryan looked back by instinct, having to double check because-- mother of  _ fuck _ , this guy was  _ TALL _ . Like, not most-white-people-is-taller-than-me kind of tall, but this-dude-is-taller-than-god kind of tall. Which by its own was attractive already, but then he had looked at Ryan with those sweet hazel eyes and warm smile, saying a kind ‘hi’ with a deep voice that had Ryan wishing he was smooth at flirting. 

“Hi.” Ryan answered, involuntarily following him as he moved around the room to an empty washing machine. “Uh, our ancient machines-- do you, do you how to…?”

“Oh, I do.” He answered, still sounding nice, too nice to be from LA. “Mom has had one of these bad girls since I have memory, so not my first rodeo!”

_ Dork _ . Ryan smiled at him, nodding and looking at his phone to distract himself instead of staring like a creep, but once the guy had turned over to his machine, Ryan was staring. 

_ Nerd _ , he concluded when he realized the guy’s pants had little Kylo Ren’s mask on them which was of no help because it immediately made him think of Adam Driver’s huge ass hands and his brother throwing Dori’s heart-shaped pillow at him after he had said _“I bet his dick is huge”_ while watching BlackkKlansman with him and dad last week.

Ryan frowned, shaking his head as he tried his best not to think of how every time he thought of that particular crush, he would end up thinking of-- Doctor fucking Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch’s large hands, his large hands and nice grey hair in that movie, an odd kind of handsome. 

Large kind of handsome. Can-cover-me-with-their-whole-large-ass-body kind of hot.

Tall dorky men with brunette hair.

Goddammit.

“Shut the fuck up…” Ryan murmured to himself, hoping Tall and Handsome was not putting attention to his weirdo neighbor right here. By the time he looked up, Tall and Handsome was actually busy with his button downs and boxer briefs.

He wondered if Richard would be nice enough to let him know more of his neighbor, Ryan had never seen him before and he was sure this guy was the person now living upstairs of his apartment. Had he had any strange experiences, too?

Ryan blinked a couple of times, not sure of why he was standing and closing the distance between him and Tall and Handsome, even less sure of why he was pocking the bottom of his back gently, trying to call his attention. The moment the man looked at him, Ryan felt his heart suddenly stop.

“So, uh--” Ryan started, trying his best to not fuck up whatever he was trying here. “I think you are the guy living upstairs? I’m from 4-B.”

“Oh.” He seemed to think about it, if Ryan was right, it would make him into, “I’m in 6-B, I guess I am!”

“Cool.” Ryan swallowed, “A few weeks back I had a… well, I’m not sure what happened, but I heard some strange noises in my apartment, some even coming from yours.”

“Really?” The man frowned. “I haven’t heard anything. What was it?”

He felt his face warmth, he couldn’t tell this total stranger his stupid theories. Ryan swallowed and immediately said, “I think maybe an animal? There was some scratching.”

“Oh,” His neighbors blinked a couple of times, the way he frowned made his nose wrinkle. Cute. “Well, I’ll keep an ear up.” He smiled.

Ryan smiled back and before any of them could say anything else, Ryan’s clothes were ready.

Sighing, he walked over to the machine he had been using, immediately taking out his clean laundry and putting it all in the blue basket his mom had given him when he moved. Ryan was about to say goodbye when he turned around, finding his neighbor way too close to him when his nose crashed with his chest.

“Sorry!” The guy said. “I’m sorry, little guy, are you okay?”

What had he called him? “What?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said again, smiling at him. “I’m Shane, by the way.”

Ryan blinked a couple of times, seeing as the guy was offering his hand. He took it, “Ryan.”

Odd kind of handsome. Large kind of handsome. Can-cover-me-with-their-whole-large-ass-body kind of hot.

Ryan smiled back.

* * *

That night, the scratches were back.

It was almost three am, which didn’t help Ryan’s situation, especially when they came from his fucking closet.

Ryan stood with his phone in hand, glasses on and lights out in case it was, in fact, an animal that had been trapped in his closet and may bite him once free. He advanced towards his closet with shoes on and the lamp from his phone up, but once the door was open, nothing came out or kept making the noise.

Sighing, he went to put the light on when he felt it:

Something ran from inside the closet without making any noise, passing his feet and knocking the door of his room open.

He stood there, hand frozen an inch close to the light’s switch, door open.

By the time he had gone to his living room and got all the lights on, nothing seemed to be hiding in there.

Ryan kept the lights on and slept under three sheets in spite of the heath.

* * *

In the following days, an odor seemed to settle in Ryan’s apartment.

He followed it with his Fabuloso and Mr. Musculo, making grandma Bergara proud from the great beyond, until he found the source in his bathroom: a death fucking rat was being eaten by ants under his sink, behind the trash can.

Frowning, Ryan left his products and the can aside, walking back into the kitchen to get something to pick up the animal and get it out his apartment. He wondered what sign of the apocalypse was this, to find so many dead animals in his apartment in just a month or so.

(Two dead animals, Ryan,  _ two _ )

Once he had the body out and was cleaning the ground, Ryan heard something he had never made aware of before: a growl, coming from his closed shower, very unlike his dog’s growls or any animal he knew. 

The fear he felt in that moment, he couldn’t even explain it, but his fight or flight instinct made him move, holding the mop thight in his hands and walking towards the shower carefully, hoping the whatever was behind it could spare his life and simply go the fuck away.

He held his breath, hand gripping the courtin hard until his knuckles were white and Ryan opened it, looking at the bathtub he never used, very empty and free of any demons.

Looking up, he found the little window open and sighed. Maybe Brent and Zack were right, maybe a cat or something had come in. After all, Ryan was not used to cats and didn’t know their sounds like he did dogs.

Then again, if there was a cat in his apartment, why hadn’t he been dying of allergies?

Maybe he was already dead.

Ryan shook his head, frowning at himself and his fucked up ideas. He closed the window and the courtin again, going back to cleaning and thinking of maybe using that damn bathtub for the first time and relax for once in his life.

* * *

Tall and Handsome went out to run at night, which was kinda odd but Ryan was not about to question his neighbor’s doings when he had taken to sitting on his balcony with the excuse of needing fresh air while working just to see him run in tight pants and an old t-shirt.

He could easily just talk to the guy and see if there was any possibility he could ask him out. Better yet, maybe there was the chance Shane would take one for the team and ask  _ him  _ out, taking the anxiety for the prospect of rejection away from Ryan.

Yet, the big guy was no mind reader and Ryan was still a bit the shy bisexual guy from high school that was always wondering if the pretty person in front of him would like to kiss him.

And also, there was a fucking demon in his apartment, and that kept most his thoughts occupied. Watching Shane go out for a run at 7PM was just a little threat before the nightmare that was his place at night.

Ryan was sure now, that whatever liked to live between his closet and his bathroom was there to stay. It could not be an animal, since no hair or allergies had come with it. The dead animal situation had not happened again, yet food had been disappearing from the kitchen’s counter and his dinner table.

The noises at night, so much scratching and growls… something was there. Something that knew how to avoid Ryan and the light. And the more he thought of it, the surer Ryan was that it was time to move out.

Yet, the rent was good here and the place wasn’t bad at all. It was close to work, too. It had hot water, parking space for his car, services weren't so expensive, the neighbors weren’t weirdos, and he even had a crush in here.

The rent contract wasn’t up until eight months later.

Ryan sighed, watching at the street as he thought it all over again, thinking his better option was to either call an exorcist or animal control.

He didn’t realize he had stayed lost in thought for at least half an hour, since Shane was walking back to the building from the corner. Ryan put his cheek on his arms, watching as the tall guy calmly walked back home, airpods on and sweat going down his forehead.

Shane looked up, holding a hand up as he smiled at Ryan.

Ryan smiled back, hoping Shane would take one for the team soon.

* * *

Work went on.

As he prepared a pitch for a show of his own, he got adopted into LadyLike as an assistant and soon was offered to actually direct a few things for them. The girls were nice to Ryan all the time, but lately, editing and directing had been taking the best of him and he was more tired than usual.

His stressed head felt like in a limbo, constantly hearing things underwater without being able to reach out and say something back.

He hoped all would soon get back on track, otherwise he may as well sign up for retirement before even pitching Unsolved.

* * *

“Gotcha!” Ryan announced, opening the cabinet of his kitchen so fast, he feared everything inside would fall on him.

Yet, once again in spite of the scratching, nothing was there.

He sighed, wondering if this was something else. Had his anxiety finally taken his sanity away? Did he need professional health help? Ryan swallowed, watching his cereals and cookies, the sugar and so, and nothing else in th--

“Wh…”

Glowing

Yellow

Eyes

“WHAT--”

_ GLOWING YELLOW EYES _

“OH MY GOD!” 

Ryan ran.

For as brave as he thought he'd be in this situation, it was not worth the dying thing over some glowing yellow eyes in his cabinet and he was no white dude in a horror movie, he knew exactly what he had to do.

He had closed the cabinet and ran from the apartment, thank god he had his phone in his pant’s pocket and was ready to call Jake to pick him up, then search for some help. A fumigation team, a priest, it didn’t matter-- he was done with this shit.

The door closet with a loud bang and Ryan hoped Mrs. Trevor in 3-B in front of him wasn’t sleeping or something, she didn’t deserve to be disturbed after having three nights in a row with the same shift at the hospital. 

Hopefully, she was too tired to he--

“Uh!” Ryan shook his head after crashing into someone’s chest, blinking a couple of times before looking in front to find said chest. He looked up, Shane was frowning back a thim. “Uh…”

“Are you okay?” He asked, the way he seemed worried about him made Ryan’s heart jump a little. “Was that-- you were the one that screamed?”

Well fuck.

“So-sort of?” Ryan swallowed, then talked in a whisper, “There’s something in my apartment.”

Shane’s eyes widened just a little, as if he had understood what Ryan meant immediately. Ryan was about to ask, when the man walked past him and stood in front of his door. Ryan blinked as he saw him open the door without saying anything, walking in and leaving him with many questions lingering in his head.

“Shane?” He asked, looking inside without putting his foot in.

The big guy was looking around as if wondering what Ryan had been talking about, as if he was searching for something but couldn’t see it anywhere. Swallowing, Ryan stepped in and stayed behind Shane, signalling him the kitchen where the counter’s door was wide open and the yellow eyes were gone.

“Oh…” Ryan walked past his neighbor, looking inside to make sure it wasn’t there. Nothing. “I swear! There were these.. Two shining eyes inside it!”

“Shining eyes?” Shane frowned again. “Like… an owl at night or a cat?”

“Like a--” He was so close to say demon, Ryan was thankful for his anxious ass that at least was too careful to stop him from saying stupid shit. “A cat? I think? Oh my god!” 

He checked inside, maybe this time-- there was no hair, not even cans on the floor or thrown aside inside the cabinet, nothing. Whatever was inside had just vanished, and it made him frown while wondering, once again, if he was in need of therapy and vacations.

“Uh, Ryan?” Shane asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah…” He swallowed. “It’s just… it’s been happening for weeks and I just… it’s so weird!”

Shane looked at him, blinking a couple of times without expression at all. 

He was a hard guy to read, Ryan was noticing just now, and the appeal became stronger. Ryan swallowed when the big guy smiled again, standing in his kitchen as if photoshopped into Ryan’s life.

“You want to grab a beer upstairs?” He said, Ryan’s heart stopped for a second. “You seem startled, so maybe some liquid courage can help? A movie?”

“Oh.” Ryan smiled at him, heart hammering in his chest. “Yeah, sounds great.”

* * *

Shane’s place smelled of lavender and clean sheets. It was nothing as Ryan had imagined and that was what made it so charming and warm, he realized.

In his head, Shane was one of those guys with minimalistic taste, some tech here and there, maybe art in the walls, silence.

But instead, Ryan was met with a collection of film and concert posters in the living room, a huge TV with a PlayStation 4 and a 4K Blu-Ray reader plugged to it, wood furniture with colorful pillows and blankets that contrast nicely with the carpet on their feet.

“You can take off your shoes if you want, it’s clean.” He assured him, showing him to where he could sit as he went into his kitchen for those beers.

The place was exactly as Ryan’s, same rooms, same walls, but seeing the toys, books and vinyls that decorated it, it was like if Ryan had been invited into Shane’s head and it was becoming very enlightening.

“Something in particular you would like to watch?” Shane asked as he offered the beer bottle, sitting on the other side of the couch, yet not quite so far from Ryan. “I was about to watch Logan Lucky for the third time this month.”

Logan Lucky. Daniel Craig with tattoos and a strange accent. Adam Driver with an accent and facial hair. Big hands, big eyes, long legs, nice fingers. A very  _ particular _ kind of handsome.

Ryan swallowed and wondered how much of a good idea it was to be thinking of Daniel Craig’s crotch while sitting with this tall nice guy he was sure was packing in there. He tried to remember how big Channing Tatum was in this movie in particular, if his ugly ass accent would be doing things to him and his horny brain that usually got monkey-er after a good scare.

“Sure.” He said, like an idiot. “Love that movie!” And every man in it, apparently.

Shane smiled at him and started to search for the movie, Ryan sighed as he sipped on his beer and watched as the movie started and he settled for a night he didn’t think he’d had.

Thank fucking God for Shane taking one for the team.

Something went off behind them, Ryan looked back as if he could see into Shane’s room where the noise had come from. He looked at his host, who smiled at him while looking-- well, he couldn’t really tell.

Weirded out? Worried?  _ Guilty _ ?

“Must be the wind.” He suggested, Ryan frowned.

“There’s no wind tonight…”

“I’m sure I left my window open.” He said, leaving his beer on the coffee table and standing. “Let me go check, I’ll take less than a minute.”

“Should I pause the--”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

Shane disappeared into his hallway, Ryan sighed and looked back at the screen. 

More noise came out, making him stand when he heard Shane hiss but before he could do something, it stopped. He heard a door close, Shane coming out of his room and then, he appeared into the living room again.

“Everything okay?” Ryan asked, looking at Shane for any indication that something had gone wrong. 

“Yeah, just had to fight the damn thing, it wouldn’t close.”

“Uh, this place was empty for a while.” Ryan commented, sitting down as Shane walked to his place again. He couldn’t help but notice he had sat down closer to him. 

“Yeah, so I was told.” He answered, stretching his arms until one was behind Ryan, under the couch. 

Nice.

“I really like this movie.”

Shane chuckled. “Yeah, mea too.” He sighed. “I like Daniel Craig, also.”

Ryan bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to laugh out of fucking happiness. 

“Good taste.” He commented, swallowing as he leaned on the couch, neck slightly touching Shane’s arm. “I like Adam Driver!”

“Oh you like tall odd men, don’t you?”

Ryan looked at Shane, after a few seconds, the big guy looked back. He smirked at him, and Shane laughed, face slightly pink.

This was fucking perfect.

* * *

Shane was an History teacher, which he had the vibes of, and it made Ryan’s pants a little tight when he would catch a glimpse of him in an Oxford and glasses, ready to look hot while teaching in high school.

He wondered how many kids had a crush on him, and how many others were questioning themselves over the hot teacher that explained everything with a soft voice and looked at you over his glasses.

The thought was almost endearing, except--

“Christ Almighty.” Jen said after slapping his shoulder, Ryan rubbed the area as he looked up at her. “Don’t you ever tell him that, it sounds wrong as fuck.”

“I mean,” Devin started as she arched an eyebrow, “in Ryan’s defense, I totally had a crush on a teacher or two.”

“We all did!” Kristin assured. “It’s not our fault you had ugly teachers, Jen.”

“He ain’t Ryan’s teacher!”

“No,” Chantel agreed, then smirked, “It’s his hot neighbor that happens to be a teacher. I can see the appeal.”

“Give me--” Freddie said, making grabby hands at her friend who passed her Ryan’s phone where he had shown them Shane’s instagram profile. “Ooooh, he’s cute!”

“And tall!” Devin reminded them. “Let’s not forget that's the reason number one Ryan here wants to get in his pants.”

“It doesn’t look there’s much space for the two of you in these!” Freddie signaled as she showed a picture of Shane standing between fucking crops, his pants genuinely looking kinda thight and Ryan felt his face go red. “I can SEE why you like him this much, Ryan!”

“Jesus, that’s not--” He tried to defend, knowing everyone knew how indiscret he was about what he liked in dicks. “It’s not, it’s not just that!”

The girls laughed, Jen shook her head as she sat down on Kristin’s desk. Ryan sighed, catching his phone when Freddie throwed it at him. He scrolled down Shane’s instagram feed, looking through the aesthetic pictures and his dorky selfies among photos from events in the school he teached at.

God, the man was teen Ryan’s wet dream. If he ever took him to his parent’s house, they were never gonna stop bothering him about it. 

But that was a conversation way ahead of time after having a beer at some guy’s apartment and going for a coffee during the weekend. His anxious ass needed to shut the fuck up a little.

He listened to the girls gush a little more about his neighbor and Ryan wondered if he could ever figure in Shane’s life the way he was imagining him in his.

Like here with the girls as they tried to advise him for the best next move, or with his parents at dinner, walking their dogs, or simply going for a beer with the boys. He wondered if that was something Shane would one day like to experience with him, if crushes right now were to become something else in his life and this was just the transition between Maybe and Yes.

* * *

How many sleepless nights texting his upstairs neighbor would Ryan have to spend until he could call the big guy his boyfriend?

Like a high schooler with a crush, Ryan went through his chats with Shane as he walked around his own apartment, trying to convince himself that he didn’t need an excuse to go knock on the man’s door and ask him out.

If he went upstairs with a crup asking for sugar? Would Shane get the hint and finally make out with him? If he went saying he had left his key god knows where and needed to use the bathroom, would Shane ask him to stay the night after?

Would any of his stupid porn-plot excuses finally get him laid?

“Jesus fuck--” He said to nobody, looking around his living room before he swallowed, shaking his head and finally heading to the door.

He took the elevator, chanting to himself that HE GOT THIS and HE WAS GOING TO GET THAT BIG GUY no matter what, silently pleading to whatever high power out there would listen to please, please, grant him this for now.

Ryan was more than willing to live with the demon in his home if it meant he could crash at Shane’s and sleep on his bed when the noises gave him the excuse. 

And he was about to reprimand himself on this when the elevator’s door opened and, like a movie, Shane was about to step in.

They looked at each other silently, wondering what was about to happen, what was this between them that felt so natural? Ryan smiled at him, Shane moved aside to let him out.

“I was about to go see you.” Shane announced, an adorable giddiness in his voice. “You… Uhm, would you like to have dinner?” He asked, Ryan blinked a couple of times and let his eyes wander around for two seconds, noticing Shane’s hands were in his pockets, feet moving nervously as he waited for an answer.

He couldn’t help but smile. “As in… a date?”

“What? A-- yeah, yeah, I mean… I thought maybe, we, we--”

“Yes.” Ryan chuckled, Shane had blushes as he tried to explain himself. “Yeah, I was-- I wanted to ask you out, too.”

He saw Shane blink, eyes slightly open as he looked at Ryan. This was the face he wanted to see the most, he realized. The voice he wanted to hear, the scent he wanted to smell, the man he was starting to like so much, all Ryan could think about was him and his antics, his jokes and references, his impeccable taste in movies, his beard that definitely caused things to him.

“Well,” Shane took a deep breath, like trying to get more corague. Ryan stepped closer to him and Shane offered his hand. “I know a great place!”

Thank fucking Jesus, Mary and Jospeh.

Shane steped in, slowly putting a hand on Ryan’s cheek. He swallowed visibly but didn’t take his eyes away from Ryan’s. Slowly, he leaned forward, making Ryan close his eyes and move his lips until he felt Shane’s on his.

They kissed softly, almost shy, searhching for where they fit together until Shane moved his head a little bit, and opened his mouth wilder. Ryan let him in, his fingers holding onto Shane’s oxford of the day, hoping he could keep kissing him for as long as he could.

He could feel his beard on his face, his nose against his face, his tongue ever so gentle like all of him, Shane was all of this, and this was all Ryan ever wanted.

* * *

(12:23 AM) I had a great time, Ry

_ (12:23 AM) Care to share with the class, Mr?  _

_ What did you liked the most? _

(12:25 AM) You, it’s the easy answer

I can get poetic

I like writing

_ (12:26 AM) Tease _

(12:26 AM) You asked for it, Bergara

I like you a lot, but tonight I liked the way you eat. You eat like you know who made your food and you know they love you. And I like the noises you make, makes me wonder what kind of noises I could get from you. 

(12:29 AM) I like your lips, your mouth when you speak and when you laugh. But more when you kiss me. I like your kisses because they taste sweet, and because you kiss hard but let down your guard for me.

(12:31 AM) I like the way that you think I don’t know how you look at me. I like how it makes me feel wanted, makes me think there must be something good in me if you want me. And if you had me, you’ll know you are the most wanted man in the world right now, and I’ll give you anything, anything.

(12:34 AM) And I like your feet. Because somehow they walked all this time until you found me. I like you, I would love to love you like I run at night:

Quietly, slowly, knowing where I’m going and that you’ll be waiting for me on the balcony when I get home, if you’d have me.

_ (12:37 AM) Fuck me _

_ I mean that as an expression, but also as an invitation _

_ You are very welcome to fuck me any time _

(12:38 AM) Romantic

_ (12:39 AM) You just Pablo Neruda-ded me! I don’t know what else to say! _

_ Except that _

_ Yeah. I would love to love you, too _

_ I would absolutely have you. _

(12:41 AM) I’ll make sure to put your name in my book when I publish all my little-guy-in-the-balcony inspired poetry

_ (12:42 AM) You better! _

(12:42 AM) Hahaha

Good night, baby

See you in the morning?

_ (12:43 AM) I swear I do make the best pancakes, if you don’t mind my haunted apartment _

_ Good night, cielo _

(12:43 AM) Ghosts aren’t real

_ (12:44 AM) Zzzzzz... _

* * *

Okay, maybe he was a little bit in love with Shane.

His presence was infuriating because the man never shut up and was a tease. The way they went on and on about things without importance made Ryan realize just how much he liked to tug on all of Shane’s nevers until they were discussing if a bear was more lethal than a shark.

(It was)

But it was also all he needed to forget two things: work’s stress and demon’s stress.

In the following weeks, even with the scratches and noises in his apartment, Ryan finally got to sleep. And he had Shane to thank for, tiring his brain with their banter, his body with his own.

He made love like a man discovering a treasure, gentle and attentive, curious to see every reaction and hear everything that wandered Ryan’s mind as he touched him. Shane made him feel as if Ryan had never been kissed before, had never been seen by anybody else but this gentle giant who wanted nothing but to worship him and find his pleasure in the way he got Ryan off.

The candor in his kisses and force on his hips kept him awake long enough to enjoy sleeping curled with him, arms tangled around each other, smiles sweet and caring in the morning.

It was nice, to say the least. It was nice to finally sleep and silence his mind for a bit.

* * *

Except--

His demon left yet another bird on his pillow as he was sleeping, waking him up when he felt cold liquid hit his face out of nowhere when Ryan moved to lay on his side.

If that first night he had screamed out of a movie, Ryan was sure he had woken up his entire apartment building, half his face covered in blood, and heart pounding to an insane frequency.

Ryan could have passed out in that moment after getting the lights on and seeing his face on the mirror, the dead animal on his bed, but something called his attention to the corner in the mirror: something had run behind his shelf and Ryan turned around, ready to face his demons.

With bravery that came out of nowhere to him, he walked firmly until he was in front of the shelf, moving books and DVDs, the thing running every time he took its cover away, until it was trapped in the corner and it hissed.

Ryan withwralled, swallowing and passing a hand on his face to take away the blood. He chewed on his cheek inside his mouth and finally decided to close the door of his closet and run to the shelf to move it--

“Fuck!”

The thing jumped, hissing and scratching his hand. The burn of the wound made him open his eyes and look at it, three perfect lines of blood on his skin greeted Ryan and he swallowed, looking to where the thing had jumped to find--

“What?”

He blinked a couple of times, watching as the fucking orange cat stared back at him as if angry he had closed all his possible escapes.

“WHAT?!”

A fucking cat.

The reason he had been so stressed and sleep deprived for almost two months had been a goddamned orange tabby cat that moved around Ryan’s room as if it was his, getting into the bed and moving the damn dead bird away to--

“What are you..?”

The cat got down, walking slowly to Ryan until it was close enough to leave the animal at his feet, then ran to hide behind his shelf again when Ryan had bent down to maybe touch it or something.

He knew cats sometimes left these… threats as a way to feed their humans, or some kind of gratitude. Was this cat trying to pay rent with all the dead animals? Did he think Ryan wasn’t eating well so he needed a dead bird or two once a week?

It was an endearing thought, to be honest. Not at all scary.

Sahne was going to have a field day with this new information.

Ryan sighed, looking at the cat behind his shelf. It meowed, its eyes glowing yellow. His little meows sounded cute, tiny, like if it was still a baby in spite how big and large it looked. He wondered for a moment if it was okay to simply let it there, and Ryan realized the cat had been probably living in his apartment all this time and hadn’t actually tried to murder him, so…

He needed a shower. He needed the damn bird blood out of his face and needed to put that on the garbage and change his sheets.

Sighing, Ryan left the cat to grab his phone, deciding to get everything sorted and Shane’s fun to start by texting him the news. Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated with his boyfriend’s face appearing on the screen, making Ryan frown.

“What are you doing awake?”

_ “Grading.” _ He said, Ryan frowned at the tone of his voice.  _ “So, a cat? Wonder where I heard that before…” _

“Shut up, Shane.” Ryan sighed, going out of his room to get everything to clean. “It left a dead bird on my pillow again!”

_ “Aww, he wants to feed you!” _

Ryan rolled his eyes, listening as Shane seemed to move, probably walking around his kitchen or something. 

“He? I don’t know if it's a he or a she, but I admit… it's kinda cute.``

_ “I knew it was you who screamed, I was about to get down there.” _

The idea made him smile. He could see Shane waking up after that scream, probably getting worried in spite of knowing what Ryan’s problem was, dressing up to get down and save him from his imaginary demons.

_ Grading my ass _ , he thought as he heard Shane get out his apartment while saying he’ll help, saying he was sure Mr. Cat didn’t want to kill Ryan and he had a magic touch with cats, the animal would probably want to go with him.

Ryan sighed, getting off the phone to start cleaning, not before leaving the door open for Shane.

He heard him enter, closing the door behind him and walking to Ryan’s room where he was finishing taking off the sheets, bird now in a bag and carpet wet but cleaned.

“Hey!” Shane greeted, Ryan looked at him with a smile and chuckle when he saw Shane make a double take, remembering he hadn’t finished cleaning the blood off his face.

“Ry, are you okay?”

“Yeah…” He swallowed, “So, I just… moved on the bed and my face was right on the dead bird.”

“Oh…” Shane blinked a couple of times, slowly smiling as he tried not to laugh. “I’m, I’m sorry, baby…”

“Ugh, just laugh already!”

Shane’s laugh echoed in his room, Ryan rolled his eyes but sent him a kiss as he passed towards his little studio to leave the unwashed sheets there. He’ll have to spend some time in the Laundry room soon, not wanting to let his clothes pile up in his apartment.

He could hear Shane talk to the cat, making noises to it to let him out.

But when Ryan entered his room again, the way the orange menace had walked out behind his shelf to rub himself on Shane’s leg and extended hand called his attention.

Frowning, Ryan watched them as Shane talked to it softly, like he would totally talk to Dori and Micki.

“You did something very bad, you little sir…” Shane was saying, Ryan walked around him to look at the cat’s expression. “You scared poor Ryan! We don’t scare Ryan, no, he is nice…”

“Shane--”

“Come on, come on…”

“Shane.”

“Good boy, good boy--”

“What’s the cat’s name?”

Ryan could think of many instances he should have known better.

Like the fact that they never had sex or sleep over at Shane’s apartment unless it was on the couch, he has never seen Shane’s room for what is worth. Sometimes, while at Shane’s, Ryan would hear noises like the ones that haunted his apartment and Shane would always say that it must be the wind.

The wind, as it had turned out, was no other but this little orange tabby that so obviously loved Shane.

Ryan may not know shit about cats, but he knew everything about owning a beloved pet, and Shane had revealed himself with his care.

His boyfriend looked up, still bending to caress the cat’s head. Ryan could tell he was panicking, a million ideas crossing his eyes as he thought of what excuse to give Ryan, so he crossed his arms over his chest and waited with an arched eyebrow.

“Well?” He insisted.

“I don’t know!” Shane answered, moronic as always, stubborn like Ryan. “Never seen this cat before!”

“Shane, come on…” Ryan moved, feeling more than seeing as Shane stood and followed him to the bathroom where Ryan grimaced at the look of his face in front of the mirror. “So if that’s not yours, then I wonder what will Richard do with him.”

Shane was quiet, but eventually asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you know…” Ryan sighed, hoping Shane would finally drop the act. “Since the building has a no pets policy and all, I have to tell him about the kitten. I guess he may send him to a shelter or something.”

“Oh.” Shane blinked. “Yeah, that sounds… reasonable.”

“I’m gonna get a shower,” Ryan let him know, “is that okay?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah… I’m gonna-- where do you keep your clean sheets?”

“Don’t worry about that, big guy.” Ryan said, then smiled at him. “I’ll tell Richard in the morning, hopefully a good family will adopt the demon cat.”

“The de--don’t call Obi a demon!”

“Obi?”

Shane’s eyes opened wide, a hand flew to his mouth and Ryan couldn’t help but laugh, seeing as his boyfriend had caught himself in one of his more mornics acts ever.

Many possibilities went through Ryan’s head: it could be that Shane was shit at lying, or that somehow Ryan already knew him well enough to see beyond his lies. It could be that Ryan had just cracked the mystery, seen the evidence and concluded this Obi guy was definitely Shane’s, and his boyfriend was breaking the building’s rules.

“Sooo… were you ever gonna tell me your cat was haunting my apartment or was I supposed to find out like this?”

“I--” Shane swallowed visibly. “Ry, please-- don’t-- I just, it’s that…”

“It’s okay.” Ryan cleared, closing the space between them to put his hands over Shane’s shoulders. The man had gone cold, and was looking pale. Ryan smiled at him. “Jesus, it’s okay. I’m not gonna rat you and your pet out!”

“Oh.” Shane looked away. “Thank you…”

Ryan smiled, Shane looked genuinely worried and mortified with the whole thing, it wasn’t a look he was liking too much. He sighed, and looked at himself in the mirror again.

“I really need that shower, babe.” Ryan reminded him, still looking at himself in the mirror, Shane looked at him on it. “He can stay, if you want.” Ryan looked at him. “Care to explain when I get out?”

“Of course, angel.” He answered, looking down at him with a smile. “Thank you.”

Ryan only smiled, feeling butterflies in his stomach as his head echoed the word ‘angel’ in Shane’s lips.

He was really head over heels for this man.

* * *

Obi looked at Ryan the whole time Shane told the story of how he and his ex-girlfriend Sara got him while living together.

When they moved out the apartment they shared, Sara wasn’t able to take the cat just yet as she was staying with a friend with dogs until further notice, and by the time this had come up, Shane had already signed in this building.

Obi needed a place to stay, and Shane couldn’t bear the idea of leaving his son behind.

Ryan could understand that. He could never leave Dori and Micki.

That night, as Shane cuddled him while holding his hand with his fingers laced together against Ryan’s chest, he heard the cat moving in closer to them until he made himself into a ball above Shane’s head on the pillow, his purring lulled Ryan back to sleep.

Nothing this gentle could ever be a demon.

* * *

Somewhere between allergies shots and purring, Ryan got used to Obi and Shane grading papers and sighin deeply at the sight of stupid assignaments.

He still watched as Shane went out for a run, waved at him when he was coming back into the building, and thought of Shane as he finished his pitch for his show.

“What do you think?”

“I think I would love to see this…” Shane admitted, then looked at him. “Want me to proof read it for you?”

“Yes, professor. Please.”

Shane smiled at him, something aside from fondness in his eyes, making Ryan swallow. 

“Careful with your words, angel, I’m gonna start thinking you want some roleplay in your life.”

Ryan swallowed, knowing well Shane had seen the shiver his words have caused. 

So, he tasted his luck.

“Yes, sir.”

Shane moved his head, arching an eyebrow. “ _ Oh _ , Ryan.”

Bingo.

* * *

Unsolved was greenlighted the same day Obi was discovered and Shane had been told to get rid of him.

Ryan never thought he'd see Shane cry, but the sight of it was enough for him to decide he didn’t want to witness this ever again.

He passed his fingers through Shane’s hair, letting hi cry on his chest as he thought his next move better. Obi lurked around them, worried for his human who he sniffed before doing his best to curly between him and Ryan, making Shane laugh a little.

It was as if the cat knew what was happening, and like Shane, was worried shit to be separated.

So, “My mom can take care of him,” he started. Shane moved from his chest, looking up with a frown. “Micki and Dori are friendly to cats, and the house is big enough for him to hide from the world if he wants.”

“Ryan…”

“I was just thinking…” Ryan swallowed. “I can help you find a new place. Meanwhile, he can stay with my parents.”

“I don’t know.” Shane answered after a long pause where he looked at Ryan as if searching for something in his face. “That’s very kind of you, but I wouldn’t like to bother your mom.” He said softly, tiny. He looked so vulnerable and breaked, Ryan wanted nothing but to cuddle him back to happiness. “I don’t even know her yet…”

The last thing was said in a murmur with a shyness Ryan hadn’t realized Shane had. He smiled, putting a hand on Shane’s left cheek, caressing his face.

“Oh, she’s dying to meet you.” Ryan said. “God, the only reason I haven’t taken you there is because I know my dad’s gonna give us shit because you are exactly what I like.”

Shane looked down as he laughed, making his cat look up. Obi meowed at him, sounding somehow worried and Ryan sighed, scratching his little head with his free hand.

He’ll miss his stepson, but they could visit every weekend and even stay. Hell, he couldn’t think of something else his mom would love more than to have him at home for entire weekends.

“Maybe.” Shane finally said, looking back at Ryan.

He leaned forward, kissing him softly with eyes closed, and both hands on Ryan’s face. He couldn’t help but smile on the kiss before responding, moving his head to one side to deepen the kiss and enjoy Shane’s warmth for longer until they went apart.

“I’m gonna call her, alright?” Ryan said, Shane nodded and let him go.

Ryan stood up, taking out his phone in search of his mother's contact, when Shane’s hand stopped him from going anywhere.

“Ryan?”

He looked down at his boyfriend still sitting on the couch. “Mm?”

“I love you.”

_I would love to love you_ , the words appeared in his head, Shane’s whole monologue that night, the way he had read it to Ryan recently as they laid together naked on the carpet after a particularly intense Sunday afternoon.

_I love to love you_ , he wanted to say. 

Ryan smiled at him and put both hands on his face, Shane immediately rounded his waist with both arms, holding him closer to his large body. He kissed him softly, pecked his lips a few times more before smiling, caressing his face.

“I love you too, professor.”

* * *

The soft caress of Obi’s purr woke him up, feeling as the cat made himself comfortable above his head until he had finally settled in a perfect circle, purring softer once he had closed his eyes to sleep.

Ryan smiled, holding Shane’s hand closer to his chest and feeling the man move behind him, spooning him closer in his childhood room’s bed, somewhere he never thought he’ll have Shane sleeping, but here they were.

In the ceiling, there were still his glowing stars and alien stickers and Shane had loved them since the first time he saw them. His basketball paraphernalia and trophies were exactly where teen Ryan had put them all those years ago and Shane had gone through each, listening to whatever story he had for them, even the made up ones.

A few years back, he had taken down a few posters to put them on his apartment, but there were a few still hanging in the walls and they often talked about those movies and his childhood before sleep.

It had been some oddly wonderful seventh months, and tomorrow they were moving to their apartment.

“Oh, I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all!” His mother had tell him earlier that day when he asked, as they washed dishes together, if she thought he was rushing his relationship with Shane by moving in together so fast. “Baby, if you ask me or your dad, I think you kids are going to be fine.”

Ryan smiled at her, stopping what he was doing to look at her when she had looked back. “I love him.”

“I know.” She answered. “I love him and my grandson, too!”

They had gotten Obi to stay the weekend as they moved and put everything in order, his parents and Jake were to help them moving, and as he fell asleep again, listening to Obi’s purrs, Ryan was reminded again of how something so gentle could never be a demon.

His show was greenlighted for a second season, he had convinced Shane to seriously do write that book he has talked so much about, and they were moving in together.

The haunting of his life was over at last. No more stressing days giving him horror nights, no more secret cats trying to make him happy by feeding him.

He felt Shane’s lips on his shoulder, slowly going up his neck and jaw, until he kissed his cheek softly and went back to spoon him.

Ryan sighed with a smile, the last thought he had before finally going back to sleep was that he loved Obi’s little feet, because they walked through earth, wind and water, until he brought Shane into his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! Maybe I'll see you on [my tumblr](http://wetookanoath.tumblr.com/)? Have a good day!


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